Our Team
Cristina Orpheo
Executive Director
Graduated in Business Administration from the Universidade Anhembi Morumbi, she holds a Masters degree in Social Project Management, Third Sector and Environmental Management. Her career includes 15 years of experience in administrative and financial management of projects, human resources management, project design, strategic planning and monitoring of environmental public policies. Cristina was also active in River Basin committees, the National Water Resources Council and in networks such as the Brazilian Forum of NGOs and Social Movements.
Maria Amália Souza
Founder/Strategic Development
Amália is dedicated to designing systemic strategies to ensure that philanthropic resources reach the most excluded and vulnerable grassroots community groups. She is a founding member of the Comuá Philanthropy Network for Social Justice and leads Casa Fund's participation in various international coalitions of philanthropic funds/foundations. Her 37+ years of professional career include positions as Director of Members at the Association for the Advancement of Communications, Director of International Communications at the Union of Indigenous Nations, and Coordinator of the Brazilian Council of the Global Greengrants Fund. She has also worked with international NGOs, provided consulting services to companies in their social investment assessments, and engaged in partnerships with global networks. She serves on the Board of Directors of AIDA - Inter-American Association for Environmental Defense, is part of the Coordinating Committee of the Human Rights Funders Network since 2017, and is part of the Philanthropy Together Braintrust group. Amália holds a degree in International Service and Development with a focus on International Environmental Studies from World College West (California), Donnella Meadows Leadership Fellows Program (Sustainability Fellows Network), and has training in Biopsychology from the Vision Future Institute. Amália is active in the field of national and international philanthropy, sharing the knowledge generated by Casa Fund in 19 years of direct support to local communities, mobilizing and engaging the philanthropic sector to ensure funding reaches the guardians of the most important planetary biomes.
Taila Wengrzynek
Finance Coordinator
Taila G. Wengrzynek is graduated in Business Administration at Faculdade Anhanguera Educacional and is an accountant, registered at CRC through a technical course at Centro Paula Souza. She has worked in private companies such as Caixa Econômica Federal, where she was an intern and at Neimafer Contabilidade she worked as a financial assistant. She worked in the administrative management of Casa Fund projects and is currently a Program Manager.
Beatriz Cristina Roseiro
Program Manager
Beatriz Cristina Roseiro is graduated in Business Administration at Faculdades Integradas de Botucatu – UNIFAC. She has 8 years experience in private companies, where she has contributed to considerable improvements. Currently at Casa Fund she works in the administrative management of projects.
Claudia Gibeli
Program Manager
Graduated in Biological Sciences from the University of Santo Amaro, majoring in Ecology from São Judas University, in Environmental Management from the University of Sao Paulo – USP, and holds master’s degree in Planning and Land Management from the ABC Federal University of ABC UFABC. She has extended experience in development of social and environmental diagnosis, as well as planning and project management in slum upgrading programs since 2000. She was a UNDP Consultant at IBAMA in 2005.
Inimá P. Lacerda
Program Manager
Inimá P. Lacerda is a Social Scientist graduated at PUC-SP and also studied environmental management. She has experience in joint projects with indigenous communities, with special attention and respect for different cultures. Over the last 17 years she was dedicated to projects that seek to preserve and enhance indigenous culture. Inimá worked in environmental and sustainable economy areas with the Hunikuin people in Acre. She was a member of the board of the Institute of Indigenous Traditions – IDETI. She is a board member of Nucleus of Indigenous Culture. She is also the organizer of the books ‘Stories of the beginning and end of the world: The contact of the Paiter Suruí people’ and ‘Aunaki Kuwamutü: Kuwamutü who created the world and other stories of the Mehinaku people’.
Maíra Lacerda
Program Manager
Maíra P. Lacerda belongs to the Krenak people and has a degree in History from the University of São Paulo- USP. She grew up amidst indigenous and forest peoples due to her parent’s intensive dedication to this cause, and started working in the field early on. She did production work for the indigenous festival series “Rites of Passage” realized by the Indigenous Traditions Institute-IDETI. She was also general coordinator for the three CECI projects – Indigenous Education and Cultural Center – in the Guarani people’s villages of Tenondé Porã, Krukutu e Tekoa Pyaú, through a partnership with São Paulo Municipal Secretariat of Education. Maíra developed the project “Krukutu Cultural Center” with the Tekoá Pyaú e Krukutu villages of the Guarani, which earned her the Youth Initiatives Prize Anhembi Morumbi in 2008. She is co-founder of the cultural production and publishing company Ikore.
Rodrigo Montaldi
Program Manager
Rodrigo Montaldi Morales graduated in Tourism at Universidade Anhembi Morumbi, with a specialization in Environmental Management (UNESP) and in Local Development (ILO / UN). Since 2002, he has been managing social and environmental projects in peripheral communities around protected areas. Rodrigo coordinates and participates in processes of Agenda 21, Municipal Councils for Youth and the Environment. He worked as a pedagogical coordinator and technical consultant in local development projects, and as educator and popular coordinator in cultural and socio-environmental projects of educommunication and community communications.
Vanessa Ourique Purper
Program Manager
Vanessa is a Public Relations practitioner, graduated at the Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUC-RS) and a post-grad in Digital Journalism. She taught at the Catholic and at the Federal University (UFRGS) from 2009 to 2015. From 2002 until 2008 she worked for NGOs and international networks focused on the strategic use of information and communications technologies, acting as events and logistics coordinator, network development assistant and projects assistant.
Helen Maria
Project Assistant
Helen Maria is from Maranhão, graduated in Social Communication from the Federal University of Maranhão, and is also a Cultural Training Producer. She has 5 years of experience in the design and management of cultural and social projects and digital strategic planning, in addition to being the co-owner of the creative agency Manguezá.
Regilon Matos
Project Assistant
Regilon Matos has a degree in Civil Engineering from UNINOVE, has 5 years of experience in the private sector in organizational methods, needs analysis with extensive experience in Ecotourism, and communication, and currently works in support of Programmatic areas of Casa Fund.
Thiarles Diego do Santos
Project Assistant
Thiarles Diego do Santos has a degree in Forest Engineering from the State University of Mato Grosso – UNEMAT. From 2016 to 2020, it worked with communities impacted by hydroelectric projects in the Tapajós Basin, focusing on the indigenous communities of the lower Teles Pires. Experience in organizing events, mobilizing actors, planning river expeditions and advising on projects for small associations.
Jani Aparecida Joana
Administrative Assistant
Jani works in the administrative and financial management of Casa Fund. She is currently studying Administration at Faculdade Anhanguera Educacional.
Janice Mello
Administrative Assistant
Janice Mello has experience in the private sector and a lot of knowledge in accounting, logistics and in the administrative sector. She is currently a student in the technical course in administration at the Paula Souza Center.
Ketlyn Santos
Administrative Assistant
Graduated in Human Resources and technical in administration from ETEC, she worked in private companies contributing to the resolution of problems and improvements in the relationship with stakeholders, including AES Eletropaulo. As a way of learning, she did voluntary work at the Municipality of Juquitiba in the Human Resources sector.
Attilio Zolin
Communications Coordinator
Attilio Zolin is a Social Communicator with Qualification in Advertising and Propaganda by the Federal University of Mato Grosso and specialized in photography direction by the International Academy of Cinema of São Paulo. He has experience in creating communication solutions for non profit organizations and telling stories through audiovisuals.
Denise Farias
Communication Advisor
Denise Farias has a degree in Social Communication with a Qualification in Journalism from the Universidade do Estado do Mato Grosso - UNEMAT and an MBA in Marketing, Branding and Growth from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul-PUCRS. He worked as a marketing analyst in the area of education, in the communication consultancy for third sector organizations and in supporting groups of young people from agricultural communities in Portal da Amazônia. He has experience and pleasure in telling stories through data and producing photographic and audiovisual material.
